Can I use a reflector lamp in a bed that
recommends a non-reflector lamp?
Usually, beds that are designed for a non-reflector lamp have
greater spacing between the lamps than a bed properly designed for
reflector lamps. This greater spacing allows the UV energy to bounce
off the reflective surface behind the lamp, and then onto the
tanner. Due to the geometry of a bed designed for full-coat
(non-reflector) lamps, relamping with reflector lamps may cause
striping for your tanners. That’s because the reflective coating on
the lamp causes the energy to go in one direction instead of
“bouncing” off the reflective surface behind the lamp. This practice
may also change the thermal environment of the bed, resulting in
higher temperatures on the lamp, which in turn results in reduced
system output. All in all, better to stay with the original bed
design when relamping.
What is the difference between High Output (HO) and Very High
Output (VHO) lamps?
High Output (HO) lamps operate on 80 or 100 watt ballasts
that generate respectively 800 and 1000 milliamps (.8 to 1.0 amps).
Very High Output (VHO) lamps are designed to operate on 160 watt
ballasts that generate 1500 milliamps. HO lamps are found
predominantly in tanning beds while VHO lamps are principally found
in stand-up units and larger beds. VHO lamps typically produce about
50% more output than HO lamps, although they consume 60% more
energy. Due to the higher power and its’ effect on the phosphors,
VHO lamp life is generally shorter than that of HO lamps.
Most VHO lamp styles today include internal reflectors – a
reflective coating on the backside of the lamp. This increases the
effective delivery of UV energy compared to reflectors built into
the bed for non-reflector lamps. The overall increase in
effectiveness is often overstated – perhaps 15-20% more
effectiveness than a well designed bed with non-reflector
lamps.
If you
have questions, please send an email to
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or call us
at 800-959-6533.
